Pneumatic cleaning apparatus.



E. H. LIGHTENBBRG.

PNBUMATIG CLEANING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 26, 1909.

Patented July 30, 1912.

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ERICH H. LICHTENBERG, 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN,

ASSIGNOB. 0F ONE-FOURTH T0 wILLraM I.. HALL, or cnrcaeo, ILLINOIS.

TNE'UMATIC CLEANING- APPARATUS.

Speccation of lLetters Patent.

Patented July 30, 1912.

. Applioation'led November 26, 1909. Serial No.529,901.

To all rwhom it may concern: y

Be it known that I, ERICH H. LICHTEN- BERG, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumat-ic Cleaning Apparatus; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a. part of this specification. i

This invention relates to improvements in pneumatic cleaning apparatus or systems for cleaning carpets, floors, or other surfaces from dust and dirt which lodge thereon, and the invention refers more specifically to means for increasing the eliiciency of the apparatus as a whole, while conserving the power required to move the current of air by which the dust and dirt is dislodged and carried to the centrally arranged dust chamber.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Among the general objects of the invention is to provide means whereby the volume of air required to handle Ithe dust and dirt may be materially decreased, whereby 'the power required to move the current of air may be diminished without im airing the efficiency of the apparatus to dislodge dust and dirt and to carry it to the dust chamber of the apparatus. I am therefore enabled to decrease the capacity of the pumping equipment, as compared to prior apparatus of the general character herein,

illustrated.

A further object of the invention is to provide means located at the suction head of a vacuum cleaner to effect a pulsating movement of the air current passing into and through the head; to provide pneumatically actuated means for operating such pulsation producing device; to provide pneumatic means for o erating a vibratory beater at the mouth o a suction head, arranged to rapidly strike or beat the surface to be cleaned, and thereby` assist in dislodging the dust and dirt, and to otherwise improve apparatus of this general character, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

I have'shown my improvement as applied pneumatic vacuum cleaning apparatus.

In the illustrated #embodiment of the in vention, the devices for imparting a pulsatory movement to the air current and for actuating the vibratory beater are carried by the head, though this arrangement may 1n some lnstances be varied. The suction head may be made of any suitable or preferred form adapted to any of the well own apparatuses or systems, whether a stationary plant or a portable apparatus. In the mouth piece of the head, as herein shown, there is located a vibrator or alternator which acts in the manner of a' reed under the influence of the current of air flowing into the head and the control of a suitab e resilient or spring element to vibrate rapldly in such a way as to effect the partlal or complete intermlttent cuttin Off of the flow of air so as to impart a puIsating beat or movement to the air current. The intermittent or periodical cutting oli" of the air reduces the volume of air to be handled as compared to a steady lflow of air, thereby making it possible to handle the air with a smaller air moving equipment and with less power. The partial or full throttling of the air has the effect to periodically increase the velocity of the air entering the mouth, thereby increasing its eiiiciency to dislodge the dust or dirt 4from the surface to be cleaned as compared to such steady flow. The vibrator or alternator may also extend beyond the mouth of the suction head when in its lower or outermost position so as to strike the surface being cleaned during the vibration thereof and thus aid to dislodge the dust and dirt.

As shown in the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a suction head showing my improvements applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a section on line 2--2 of Fig. l. Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 are sect-ions similar to Fig. 2, showing modified forms of the vibrator.

The head v10' shown in the drawing is adapted to be fixed to t-he lower end of a tubular handle lll which latter constitutes, at once, a handle by which the suction head may be run over the surface to be cleaned and a conduit through which the dust and dirt is carried upwardly to the dust collecting chamber of the ap, aratus.- My improvements may, however, e applied to the suction head of a portable apparatus wherein f f seats 1-9 against which the vibrator 1s adapt- I the head is carried by or forms part of the wheeled casing that carries the pump and motor for driving 'the same. Arranged lwithin the head above the mouth 12 is an elongated vibrator or alternator 13 made of substantially the lengt-h of the mouth. In the form of device shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the head is enlarged near its lower side or mouth to provide passages 14 around the sides of the vibrator through which dust and dirt pass upwardly into the head. The said vibrator is provided with one or more guide rods 15, (two being herein shown, one at each end thereof) that extend upwardly through hollow screw-threaded plugs 16 which have screw-threaded engagement with the upper wall of the hollow head. Interposed between the upper side of the vibrator and the lower ends of said screwstuds 16, are spiral expansively acting springs 17 which act normally to hold the l vlbrator depressed, or in its lowermost position. The downward movement of said vibrator, under the action of the springs 17, is limited by stop nuts 18, 18 screw-threaded to the upper ends ofthe guide rods and adapted to bear on the upper end faces of the screw studs 16. Thehollow head is provided above said vibrator and at the sides thereof with downwardly facing internal ed to seat when drawn upwardly, and when the saidvibrator is so seated, the flow of air upwardly through the head will be temporarily arrested. The lower side 2O of the vibrator is adapted to extend slightly below the mouth and 1s formed to providel atoothed or corrugated striking face. The spring or springs 17 will be so adjusted, with respect to the vacuum under which the device is operating, that the vibrator will, after it is drawn up against the seats 19, be forced downwardly by the action of the spring 17, 'and the relation of the force of the vacuum to the spring pressure will be such as to produce and maintain a rapid vibration or alternating movement of the vibrator toward and from its seat in the mannerof a reed, the vibrator alternately closing `or partially closing the passage 1n the head, and striking the surface to be cleaned at the mouth of the head. The vibrating or shuttle-like action of thef.vibrator causes the lower or striking face 20 of the vibrator to strike the surface sharply and with great rapidity. This action of the vibrator is especially useful when cleaning a carpet, inasmuch as the beating action' thereof on the pile of the carpet serves to loosen or dislodge the dirt and dust enmeshed in the pile of the carpet ment.

so that the same may be removed and drawn up into the head with the exertion of less power than if the pull of the vacuum alone were de ended upon to effect such dislodggures.

.cleaning systems a much greater force is reuired to dislodge the dust and dirt from t e carpet than is re uired to carry the same upwardly through t e head to the central dust ycollecting chamber. B the use of my improvements the force of the vacuum may be materially decreased, while maintaining the efficiency of the device to dislod e the dust as compared to an interrupted ow of air. Moreover by reason of the fact that the passage through the head is intermittently or periodically closed or partially closed at each upward limit of its stroke, the volume of air to be handled is decreased,

thus making it practicable to materially out down the pum ing equipment.y

In Fig.` 4 the vi rator 20 is arranged in the head 10 in generally the same manner as in the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and is associated with the same guiding and spring pressed means as shown in said latter In the construction shown in said Fig. 4, the downwardly facing shoulders 19 of the previously described construction are omitted and the front and rear walls of the head are provided with interior thickened portions or ribs 22, 22, between which the vibrator 21 is drawn upwardly. The said vibrator `lits closely between said ribs and serves to close or partially close the passage in the head and to thereby impart a pulsating movement to the air current passing upwardly` into and through the head. The said vibrator 21 is provided at its lower side with a toothed or corrugated beating face 23, as in the construction previously described.

In the construction shown in Fig. 6 the beater feature of the vibrator 25, therein shown, is omitted and said vibrator cooperates with-the internal ribs 26 of the head in the same manner as in theconstruction shown in Fig. 2 to effect an intermittent closing or partial closing of the passage through the head to impart a pulsating movement to the air current.

In the construction shown in Fig. 5 the vibrator 28, like that shown in Fig. 6, is without the beater feature, and said vibrat'or coperates with downwardly facing internal shoulders or seats 29 in the head, as in the construction shown in Fig. 2, to effect the intermittent closing or partial closing of the passage in the head and impart a pulsating movement to the air current.

In the construction shown in Fig. 3 the vibrator 30 thereof is provided with a beater face 31, as in the vconstruction shown in Figs. 2 and 4. In the construction shown in Fig. 3 the combined vibrator and beater is adapted to be seated by the force of its springs- 82, which surround the guide rods 15, against internal, upwardly facing seats ,33, at the sides of the mouth. The vibrator tis a well known fact that in vacuuni" iis; therefore, moved upwardly under the inliuence of vacuum and is returned a ainst its seat at the lower linut of its stro e by the springs. 1

In the construction shown in'Fi 7 the head 35, made generally similar tot e head shown in the other figures, is rovided with A a flexible, typical reed-like vi ratorA 36 that is attached at its upper end, as by the rivet 37 to the central part of the head where the shank 38 joins the head. The" said vibrator 36 extends from end to end of the head and lies closel adjacent to the front wall ofthe head. T e effect of the air passing up` wardly through the mouth of the headv is to vibrate the vibrator from front to rear of the mouth, as indicated by the full and dotted lines. .Inasmuch as'the vibrator ex tends from end to end vof thehead, when it occupies the position indicated in dotted lines, it will partially or fullycut off the flow of air lupwardly through the head;

and the resiliency of the vibrator'is so pro-4 portioned to the force of the vacuum as to cause` the vibrator to rapidly fiutter'back and forth in the mouth. The spring action of the vibrator may be varied by. the use of an adjustin screwl 40 screw-threaded through the wal of the head and bearing Yat its inner end against the vibrator nearl its point ofattachment to the head. The said vibrator may terminate short 0f the mouth of thev head as shown in Fig. 8 so as to merely effect a pulsatory movement v of the air current passing through the head,

or it may carry brushes 41 adapted to Vbear against the surface being cleaned and to operate with a sweeping action against said surface.4 The resilient mounting ofthe4 vibrator or alternator 36 of the construction shown in Fi 7 lies inA the shankof thev vibrator itse f, whilefin the construction shown in the other figures the' 'resilient mounting lies in .the separately applied springs.

In order to facilitateA the assembling ofl the vibrator within the head in the constructions shown in Fi 1 to 6, both inelusive, the head may diie/horizontally divided and the parts attached together by screws or bolts 4:2v extending through over-y la ping flanges 43 of the head members.

twill be obvious that the essential fea# tures of my invention may assume" yother combined action of resilieno head lprovided with an inta 'adapted to be moved over .the surface to be- "cleaned, and al pneumatically actuated, fs'prin 'controlled beater-inA said mouth have; *ing -alternating motion toward .ands-'awayfjv from the surface being cleaned.

forms within the scope of the claims hereto appended, and the invention is not, limited to the structural detailsvherein shown ex ci'c claims. y

I claim as my invention: 1. In a neumatic cleanin apparatus, a head provlded with an inta e mouth for dust and air, and movable,y resiliently -cept as hereinafter made the subject of spe-l so' l mounted means located in the mouth in the 'I path of the'inflowing current of dust'and `and dust, means controlled by the combined action. of resiliency and the pressure of the the n,movementsof the beater andl means to adjust said beater device with respect to the force exerted thereon -by the pressure 'of the air current.

3. In a pneumatic cleanin apparatus,- `a

adapted to be moved over the surface to be cleaned, and a pneumatically operated, spring controlled device in said mouth having lternating motion for intermittently air flowing through thejmothto alternate .head provided with an inta e mouth and interruptingthe motion of 'air through the,

head, for the purpose set forth.

4. In a neumatic cleaning apparatus, a

e mouth and In testimony, that I claim the foregoing@-V as my invention I aix my si y resenee of two witnesses, `th1s22d dayipf,j ovember A. D. 1909.A v

ERICH H.

Witnesses i B. Lun. BmNonaRn,

JOHN Scum, Jr.

atnre' l in the "i idol 

